Underpan for motor-cars and other vehicles.



A. P. BRUSH.

UNDERPAN FOR MOTOHCARS AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1914.

1 ,1 63., 3 l 7, Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

IN VEN TOR.

WITNESSES W4 M gy 5% ATTORNEY UNITED s'rn rns PATENT oFFIoE.

ALAn'soN r. nnusn, or nnrnorr, MICHIGAN.

UNDERP AN FOR MOTOR-GABS AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

j Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Application filed December 19, 19%. Serial No. 878,012.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALANSON P. BRUSH, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Detroit, State of Michigan, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements in Underpans for Motor-Cars and a. fragmentary front View of a motor car other Vehicles, of which the following is the specification.

My invention has particular reference to underpans for motor cars and the like, which are provided beneath the front of the vehicle, usually extending back from the radiator to a point somewhat to the rear of the fly wheel and clutchmechanism. The

general object of this underpan is to prevent mud, dirt and pebbles from being thrown up from the road bed into the engine, transmission, clutch or other operating mechanism of the car by the front wheels when the vehicle is in motion.

So far as I am aware it has been the universal practice to construct such underpans of sheet metal, often pressed from a single piece, and mounted on the frame of the car in such a way as to provide an inclosed shield in the direction in which the car normally progresses, but open at the rear. This type of construction has several inherent disadvantages. An underpan constructed of sheet metal is sonorous to a great extent and gives out a ringing sound when stones fly up from the front wheels and strike it. Furthermore, when a car is proceeding over an uneven roadbed the pan will frequently creak or squeak as one corner of the car is elevated or depressed in passing over a bump or rut. A further and extremely important disadvantage lies in the fact that the sheet metal pan hitherto used has acted to catch the drip of gasolene and oil from the motor and that portion of the running gear inclosed by it, and to a large extent has retained this dripping in puddles, thus forming a highly inflammable mixture ready to ignite at the merest spark and constituting'a serious fire hazard.

The chief object of my invention is to do away with these disadvantages by providing a reticulated underpan, preferably constructed of a metallic wire mesh having a large number of interstices which are small enough to prevent pebbles, mud or dirt being thrown up from the roadbed by the front wheels into the motor or transmission, but which will permit the gasolene and oil dripping from the motor and transmission to seep through and fall to the ground, thus obviating the collection of gasolene or oil-in puddles within the pan.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is with an underpan constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side View of a portion of the, same car. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional. view looking toward the front of the car and showing the fly wheel, main frame and underpan, to-v gether with one type of means for fastening the underpan to the frame.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the numeral 1 designates a motor car provided with the side frame members 2 and 3 to which is detachably secured the underpan 4. This pan is preferably constructed of a single piece of metallic wire screen formed with a unitary peripheral flange 5, which is adapted to engage with and seat against the frame of the car. Any desired type of device may be utilized for mounting the underpan upon the frame. In the drawings I have shown the use of hooks 6 entering sockets 7 carried by the main frame. These hooks are provided with finger pieces 8 and are'secured to the underpan by means of a coiled spring. 9, by virtue of which the pan is firmly held against the main frame. If for any reason it is desired to remove the pan, this may be accomplished by disengaging the hooks from the sockets.

The construction above described completely obviates the disadvantages already referred to. The interstices in the fabric permit oil and gasolene dripping from-the motor or transmission to seep through and fall to the ground, although the interstices are too small to permit pebbles or mud to pass through and reach the motor or trans mission. The device is non-sonorous, and, owing to its reticulated construction, is resil ient and will readily yield in any plane, so that no matter-in what angle the car may be tilted in passing over an obstruction or a rough road, the underpan .will accommodate itself to the consequent yielding or distortion of the main frame of the vehicle, and it will do this without creaking or squeaking. This yielding nature of the fabric is also of importance since it permits the use of an integral peripheral flange for engage- I ment with the frame of the car which will readily conform itself to the contour of the frame and form a tight oint through which stones or mud will not enter. Such a pan is also very much lighter than a pan formed of sheet metal. When it 'is desired to clean the pan, it is only necessary to raise the hood or bonnet of the car and direct a stream of water from a hose downward through the pan, thus effectively removing any dirt or mud that may have accumulated upon it.

vIt Will be obvious that such a structure may readily be formed either in sections suitably fastened together, as by soldering, or that it may be formed from a single sheet by pressing or stamping into the desired shape. It Will also be evidentthat any suitable means may be used for securing the pan to the vehicle, although such mounting is preferably detachable, as in the manner shown in the drawings.

Under some conditions it may be possible or advantageous to use in place of the wire screen a unitary metallic sheet provided with a large number of closely grouped fine holes through it, so as to approximate a reticulated or woven fabric.

\Vhile I have illustrated and described only certain specific embodiments of my invention, I appreciate that it is of broad application, and I do not desire to be limited to the precise structure shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A foraminous underpan for motor cars 3. An underpan for motor cars and other vehicles constructed of a non-sonorous metallic fabric. 1

4. An underpan for motor cars and other vehicles constructed of wire screen.

5. An underpan for motor cars and other vehicles constructed of a Woven metallic fabric.

6. An underpan for motor cars and other vehicles, constructed of a unitary sheet of woven metallic fabric pressed into shape.

7. An underpan for motor cars and other vehicles consisting of a foraminous metallic sheet.

8. An underpan for motor cars and other vehicles consisting of a sheet of woven metallic fabric having an integral peripheral flange for engagement with a portion of the vehicle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses:

JAMES T. SHAW, W. H. ALFoos. 

